ELMONT, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Los Angeles Kings built a three-goal first-period lead and held off the New York Islanders for a 3-2 victory on Friday night at UBS Arena. Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore all scored in the opening frame for the Kings, who were outshot 27-24. Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves to secure the win. Emil Heineman scored twice for the Islanders, including a third-period deflection that cut the deficit to one. Bo Horvat assisted on both goals. Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 shots in the loss. The Kings improved to 27-38. The Islanders fell to 37-29. Attendance was 17,255.

ELMONT PARK, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Los Angeles Kings built a three-goal lead in the first period and then held off a furious rally by the New York Islanders to secure a 3-2 victory in a National Hockey League game at UBS Arena on Friday night. Facing the same Islanders team they had defeated just eight days prior, the Kings exploded early, scoring three times in the opening frame to stun the home crowd of 17,255. The win improved Los Angeles to 27-38, while the Islanders fell to 37-29. The Kings set the tone immediately, capitalizing on sustained pressure. Veteran center Anze Kopitar opened the scoring at 13:07 of the first period, finishing a play with a wrist shot for his eighth goal of the season. Defenseman Mikey Anderson and forward Alex Turcotte provided the assists. Los Angeles doubled its lead less than six minutes later. On a sharp passing sequence, Artemi Panarin found Adrian Kempe, who buried a wrist shot past Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin at the 18:28 mark for his team-leading 26th goal. The Kings’ first-period onslaught concluded just 27 seconds later. Trevor Moore collected a loose puck and fired a quick wrister to make it 3-0 at 19:05, sending the Islanders to the first intermission in a deep hole. New York regrouped and began its pushback in the second period. The Islanders finally solved Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper at 20:46 of the middle frame. Emil Heineman deflected a point shot from Adam Pelech, with Bo Horvat earning the secondary assist, cutting the deficit to 3-1. The Islanders carried the play for much of the final two periods, outshooting the Kings 23-12 after the first. Kuemper was stellar, turning aside 21 of 23 shots to earn the win. His counterpart, Sorokin, made 24 saves on 27 shots in the loss. Heineman brought the Islanders within one with his second goal of the night at 9:38 of the third period. Stationed in front of the net, he deftly redirected a Matthew Schaefer shot, with Horvat picking up his second assist of the contest to make it 3-2. New York pressed relentlessly for the equalizer with Sorokin pulled for an extra attacker in the final 90 seconds. The Kings were forced to kill a late penalty, as Scott Laughton took two minor penalties with 2:04 remaining, giving the Islanders a 6-on-4 advantage. The Los Angeles penalty kill, backed by several key blocks and Kuemper’s composure, weathered the storm to seal the road victory. Heineman’s two-goal performance led the Islanders, while Horvat’s two assists fueled the comeback attempt. For the Kings, Kopitar and Kempe each had a goal, Panarin notched an assist, and Anderson was a physical presence with an assist and five hits. The game defied the pregame projections from National Statistical, which gave the Islanders a 56.2% probability to win and projected a 4-2 final score. The total of five goals surpassed the over/under line of 5.5. The Kings continue their road trip against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. The Islanders look to rebound at home against the Calgary Flames, also on Saturday.

Preview: Struggling Kings Visit Playoff-Pushing Islanders ELMONT, N.Y. (Interstat) — The New York Islanders look to solidify their playoff position and avenge a recent loss when they host the struggling Los Angeles Kings at UBS Arena on Friday night. The Islanders (37-28-0) enter the matchup riding momentum from a 4-3 overtime road victory against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. Center Mathew Barzal, a key player to watch, powered that win with a goal and two assists, continuing his strong offensive pace. In his last six games, Barzal has recorded two goals and seven assists. New York sits in a crowded Eastern Conference wild-card race and can ill afford a misstep against a sub-.500 opponent. The Islanders dropped a 5-3 decision to these same Kings in Los Angeles just over a week ago on March 5. The Kings (26-38-0) arrive on Long Island after a tough 2-1 overtime loss in Boston on Tuesday. Their season has been defined by inconsistency, as evidenced by their recent stretch of alternating wins and losses over the past eight games. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who made 20 saves in the Boston loss, is expected to start. He was the winning netminder in the teams’ last meeting, making 31 saves in the 5-3 Kings victory. Los Angeles will need a similar performance from Kuemper to counter an Islanders team that has found ways to win close games, boasting a 4-0 record in overtime contests in their last 10 outings. The Kings’ road record remains a significant hurdle in their disappointing season. For New York, maintaining discipline will be critical after special teams proved decisive in the March 5 loss. The Islanders’ upcoming schedule is heavily home-weighted, making a strong start to this stand vital for their postseason aspirations. Meanwhile, the Kings begin a challenging three-game Eastern road trip, facing the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers immediately after this contest. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT at UBS Arena.